1667.1 An individual must have an Administrative Services Credential to serve as a principal or assistant principal at a public school in the District of Columbia.

1667.2 The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) shall issue an Administrative Services Credential in accordance with the provisions of this Section.

1667.3 To qualify for an Administrative Services Credential, the candidate must have:

(a) Earned an advanced degree from an accredited institution of higher education; or successfully completed the initial licensure requirements of a program for educational administrators approved by the OSSE in accordance with subsection 1667.7 of this chapter;

(b) Successfully completed two years of full-time Preschool-12 school based teaching, or other instructional leadership experience, or two years of full-time Preschool-12 school-based experience in guidance counseling, social work, psychological services, or rehabilitative services for students with disabilities; and

(c) Successfully completed the School Leaders Licensure Assessment (SLLA), with a qualifying score determined by the State Superintendent of Education.

1667.4 At the request of a local education agency located in the District of Columbia (LEA), the State Superintendent of Education may grant an exception to the requirements of paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection 1667.3 of this chapter;

1667.5 The term of the Administrative Services Credential shall be four calendar years from the date of issuance, unless a shorter term is prescribed by the State Superintendent of Education. The Administrative Services Credential is renewable upon completion of two hundred (200) hours of professional activities and services that contribute to performance and effectiveness as an educational administrator, as determined by the State Superintendent of Education.

1667.6 Candidates who hold a valid administrative services license from another state or jurisdiction within the United States of America, and have not taken the SLLA, shall be eligible for a non-renewable Transitional Administrative Services Credential that expires within one calendar year from the date of issuance or any shorter term prescribed by the State Superintendent of Education.

1667.7 Candidates who were performing administrative assignments at the principal, supervisory or other level, prior to January 1, 2000, and continuing through July 1, 2008, shall be eligible for a one-year Restricted Administrative Services Credential that expires within one calendar year from the date of issuance, but which may be renewed for a second calendar year if the candidate has met the requirement of subsection 1667.3(c) and will have met the requirements of subsection 1667.3(a) in that second calendar year.

1667.8 The State Superintendent of Education shall develop policies or directives setting forth objective and verifiable standards for the approval, renewal, and revocation of approval by the OSSE of programs for educational administrators that qualify candidates to earn an Administrative Services Credential pursuant to subsection 1667.3(a) of this chapter. Only programs sponsored by an institution of higher education, a non-profit organization, or LEA may be considered for approval pursuant to this subsection by the OSSE. Any approval granted by the OSSE pursuant to this subsection, shall specify which requirements must be successfully completed to qualify a candidate for the Administrative Services Credential pursuant to subsection 1667.3(a) of this chapter. Any such programs in existence as of the date of the final approval of this rule, shall

maintain their qualified status pursuant to subsection 1667.3(a) of this chapter, for the duration of the term of their current approval as a qualified program.

1667.9 Each candidate for an Administrative Services Credential shall be required to undergo a criminal history record check prior to receiving the credential, and may be required to submit to additional checks for purposes of renewing or continuing to hold the credential. The State Superintendent of Education shall develop policies or directives setting forth objective and verifiable criteria for the review of such records. Only criminal convictions and pending charges shall be taken into account with regard to criminal background information in determining whether or not an individual is qualified to hold the credential.

SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 49 DCR 5212, 5216-20 (June 23, 2000); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 51 DCR 6445(June 25, 2004); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 55 DCR 12149 (November 28, 2008).